Sir, – Prof William Reville notes that many institutes of technology such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology achieved top ranking in the latest QS World University Rankings. He thus wonders why our Irish institutes of technology are "rushing to be re-titled as universities" (Letters, June 20th).
It’s a fair question. However, our experience in the southeast is that a great many students prefer to enrol in a university. On completion of their courses in Dublin or Cork, most of these students do not return to the region.
Thus the lack of a university in the region has contributed to a significant braindrain to our largest cities, a situation that is in nobody’s interest and that does not pertain in Boston or Los Angeles. – Yours, etc,
Dr CORMAC O’RAIFEARTAIGH,
School of Science and Computing,
Waterford Institute of Technology.